sknyinside

My knees started bothering me in the mid 2009 time period. I had cortisone shots in both knees every 3 months as well as Euflexa series twice. I tore the meniscus in my left knee and had arthroscopic surgery January 2011.The Dr. said he repaired the meniscus and cleaned out some of the arthritic damage and felt it would buy me a couple of years. Then I did the same to the right knee and once again arthroscopic surgery July 2011.this time the Doctor said he saw major cartilage damage. Then MRI of right knee cause it just was not getting better so knee cap ( patella femoral replacement which is not a full or a partial but a knee cap only ) replacement November 2011. Oh and we can't forget the physical therapy for all 3. then low and behold my feet started hurting. I had bone spurs in both heels. Cortisone shots, orthotics for my shoes and exercises did zip. Here I went again to surgery. In February 2013 I had my Achilles tendon released and lived in a boot for 6 weeks. 2 weeks of sleeping in it then 4 more all waking hours. Physical therapy once again. Did I mention that my weight had gotten to an all time high of 240??? As I was contemplating more surgery to stop the bone spur pain in the right foot I happened upon a lecture locally on the topic of weight loss surgery for seniors ( 57 is senior ). My consult was May 6th and surgery was 6 weeks ago June 19th. I am so glad I had it done. I can already see and FEEL the difference. True I had a set back but diverticulitis was not surgery related. I am down to 205 from 232 on June 19th and already down 2 sizes. You will do great. Just getting the excess pressure off the knees and feet has helped already. Chin up and you will be kicking you heels up before you know it. !!

Not sure how much you have to lose, but there is a blog 300poundsdown.com where the writer talks about how much pain she was in prior to surgery. It is a good read and will help you realize, you're not alone in having physial pain.
Maybe her story will give you some encouragement on this hard day.

My primary insurance resisted for a LONG time. Honey, do what I did. Take that bull by the balls. Call the Insurance Company and ask for either the Medical Director or their Nurse. These are the actual people who rubber stamp the approval. Don't hang up til you get them. If you hit a brick wall, tell them you expect a call back by 5 pm today or you will be contacting both your Congressman and the local news media outlet.
When you get the MD or their Nurse on the phone, tell them what you need done. Tell them, "i believe i have been patient enough waiting for your company to do your job on my surgical request. my secondary approved it long ago. In a perfect world, I would be able to schedule surgery as soon as I hang up this phone. But I know this isn't a perfect world. So, YOU tell ME when the authorization will be approved. I NEED this surgery no later than May XX." Pick the date that works best for you.
Don't say 'approved or denied.'. In your brain, denial IS NOT an option. Lay it out. Remind them of what THEIR rules are for approval. Go over each rule step-by-step confirming you have completed each task. Then, hold their feet to the fire on getting the approval in the next 24 hours.
It's quite simple. Its THEIR game. And, if YOU have played it by THEIR RULES, you WILL WIN because they HAVE to play by their rules, too.
Everyone where I work told me our insurance doesn't cover it. I got approval (cuz I can be a bit of a b***h... With documentation to support my bitchiness.) and had my surgery last Wednesday.
Don't be discouraged if you find you have to do Nutritional Counseling for 6 months or a year. Even if your husband is not there to help with the kids, YOU can line up the support you need. I am the caregiver to my severely disabled sister who is at home with me on life-support. If I can line up people to take care of her for a couple of weeks, ANYONE can. You just have to find the burning desire in your heart to demand doing something FOR YOU. In the long run, it's for them too. And, I believe your husband can still play a big role in the support you need even from halfway around the world. ((HUGS)) to you. Please stay in touch. I am here to help you find the words you need.